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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Longnose Gar

The longnose gar which is also known by its scientific name (Lepisosteus osseus) is commonly confused with the alligator gar, and while they both have similar features they are entirely different breeds of fish, although they both reside in the same gar family of fish. These fish are most recognizable by their black spotted scale pattern and their long extremely narrow snouts, similar to other gar species, and in these jaws are dozens of needle like teeth, which is how the longnose gar got its other common name the needlenose gar!

Unlike their big brother the alligator gar, longnose gar rarely grow over a few feet in length, and not much more than 25 lbs in weight. Female longnose gar can lay upto 30,000 eggs every year, and these eggs are laced with a poison that is dangerous to other animals and even humans! The longnose gar can be found in lakes and rivers or even brackish water covering much of the Eastern half of North America.